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300 win mag ammo for Wapiti/Elk

04 Mar 2026
@ 07:09 pm (GMT)

Warwick

Good evening team
I'm off to chase NZ Wapiti in the dark river block.
Super pumped. Shot opportunities might be in close and across river clearings and slips. It's tiger country by the looks of it.

I'm thinking of running my t3x 300win mag
Currently it's shooting 170 Norma Tip strike very well.

Is the tip strike up to the job in close and out to say 400?

Or should I be looking at other suggestions in factory ammo.
Suggestions have been swift sirrocco 180
Norma bondstrikes 180
Federal power shock 180
Rem core lokt 180.

Any factory projectile suggestions based on elk, big waps or big bodied reds 300 win mag kills would be welcome.

Thanks team. Warwick

Replies

05 Mar 2026
@ 07:34 am (GMT)

Quote this

Nathan Foster

Re: 300 win mag ammo for Wapiti/Elk

Hi Warwick, each of the loads you mention has some merit, it just depends on ranges.

The Tip strike, though a bit light for Wapaiti, has an extra thick jacket so its not going to blow up onside or anything sill like that. Its quite useful for Red deer and can be pushed to somewhat larger bodied animals/

The pother loads you mentioned have merit for close to moderate range work.

If you are wanting to reach out to 400 yards, you might want to consider the Hornady Precision Hunter ammo featuring the 200gr ELD-X. This has a relatively thick jacket for close range shots but is fast expanding. The high weight and high BC help to enhance performance at longer ranges. If you have not tried it, perhaps try a box and see how the rifle goes with this. Although many people focus on (tough) construction, the advantage of the .300 magnums is their ability to employ high weight, lessening reliance on construction. Again, if you have not experimented with this, I suggest you give it a try.